The assault on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs nationwide is leaving governments, educators and even the private sector scrambling to understand the scope of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration has called DEI programs “anti-merit” and “discriminatory” against White men, and it has already scrubbed mentions of DEI from federal government websites replaced by 404 “page not found” errors.
Trump, in an unhinged news conference that barely acknowledged the victims, seemed to blame a plane crash in Washington, D.C., last month on DEI, ranting about the hiring policies of the Federal Aviation Administration and doubling down on the need to hire the “best and brightest” to work in air traffic positions.
While the DEI order by the president was specific to federal government, states as well as cities and counties are also navigating the ripple effects to evaluate their own practices.
The City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County are both watching the battle unfurl and wondering what it could mean for city and county administrations and future directives.
“I will tell you that I’ve been sort of thinking about and talking to other communities, and hoping that the interagency, the International City Managers Association, ICMA, will have some guidance around how local governments ought to be thinking about this,” said Kaki Dimock, the chief human services officer for Albemarle County.
Dimock oversees departments including the broadband office, office of equity and inclusion, housing, human services and social services. The mission of the office of equity and inclusion, according to the county’s website, is to maintain a community that is welcoming, inclusive and accessible to everyone.
“I think that there’s certainly a lot of discomfort and anxiety around what should come next, what will not come next, what should come next?,” she said.
“What’s our role in in that, knowing that the work that most of those offices have been doing has been really needed and important,” said Dimock. “It’s a challenge.
“We’re all watching with bated breath in the current circumstances.”
Charlottesville Human Services Director Misty Graves said her department has its own diversity, equity and inclusion focus as well as an anti-racist mission statement and action plan.
“That’s something that we’ve been implementing for many years with our own specific strategies to improve equity in our department with our staff and our clients,” Graves told AFP.
Graves said that the city’s human services department receives very little federal funding, so she has no plans to back down on DEI initiatives.
“The way that we see DEI in our department, it is non-negotiable and integrated in our organizational values and beliefs, and the way that we live out those is something that’s ingrained in our staff and the way that we do our work.
“So as a director, I don’t see a way to separate the way that we view the world and do our work, because it’s so ingrained,” she said.
The private sector
Legal challenges against the executive order pertaining to DEI leave many people and companies scratching their heads on how to move forward in this anti-wokeism Trump era.
While the private sector should be shielded from the EO, corporate America is taking the opportunity to re-evaluate its commitment to DEI programs.
The executive order instructed federal agencies “to enforce our longstanding civil-rights laws and to combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities.”
The order also said state attorney generals were tasked with assisting the heads of federal agencies “to advance in the private sector the policy of individual initiative, excellence and hard work.”
Some businesses are using the EO as justification to backtrack on DEI programs: Google, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Tractor Supply and Meta reportedly among them.
An effort to punish major retailers for their anti-DEI stances is under way with a pause on consumer spending for one day.
The 24-hour economic blackout is being organized to boycott businesses who seem to be following the political winds, and it encourages consumers to pause spending at major retailers starting Feb. 27 at midnight. The boycott is also encouraging people to support small, local businesses if necessities are needed during the blackout.
“We are going to remind them who has the power. For one day, we turn it off for one day. We shut it down for one day, said organizer John Schwarz on social media.
“We remind them that this country does not belong to the elite, it belongs to the people, and this will work.
“Some of you might say one day won’t make a difference and that’s exactly what they want you to believe. If enough of us participate, they will feel it, and if they don’t listen, we escalate.”
On the contrary, some companies are using the EO as an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to DEI initiatives: Sephora, Costco, Apple and Ben & Jerry’s, to name a few.
In Virginia, Republican AG Jason Miyares sent a letter to Costco demanding it repeal DEI policies. While many companies seem to be folding due to political pressure, Costco said its ongoing commitment to DEI is “appropriate and necessary.”
Related stories
For related coverage, search “DEI” or “Donald Trump” on Augusta Free Press.
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- Donald Trump, with his anti-DEI orders, has us, again, fighting over the crumbs
- With a nod to Trump, the NFL is now out of the ‘End Racism’ business
- Trump ‘fact sheet’ targeted optional training for Harrisonburg Schools teachers
- Trump ‘fact sheet’ falsely targets Harrisonburg Schools for ‘gender ideology’
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Crystal Graham
